Bill Maher got into real big trouble for saying that the people that died in the WTC Towers were NOT heroes, only the firefighters, cops or anyone else that ran in there were true heroes.  Maher said the people in the Towers were just unfortunate souls who died suddenly.  

Ofcourse, Bill Maher lost his show "Politically Incorrect" over these comments.

What do you think?

With no disrespect to the dead, dying in itself, does not make you a hero.
3000 people will, statistically, contain heroes and villains (and people of all sorts).
Calling all of these people heroes out of hand is not necessary to show respect, and in a way, 'cheapens' the title of hero for those who genuinely earn it.
Saying that, an incident of this type will inevitable bring out the heroes and all due respect to the bravery of these souls but I have no less respect for the people who simply cowered in a corner until it was over.

That's true.  A lot of people in there had no choice but to just sit there and wait for death.

I agree with Bill Maher though, I don't think those people where heroes just for dying.  I think the firefighters, cops, and just anyone else that ran into those buildings were the true heroes.    

Although the victims in the WTC towers were not heroes per say, most of them showed up for work without the fear of dying. Bill Maher should have showed more tact in opinionating on this topic. But P.I. isn't known for sensitivity or tact, so it was the right move for ABC to cancel his show.

I dunno.  Heard, on the radio, the author of a Newsweek or Time cover story on WTC survivors.  It's sounds like a lot of average people risked, and lost, their lives helping others to safety.  Some others stayed with injured friends and died when the towers collapsed.
That's heroism any way you cut it.

Oh, here I am agreeing with Steve H(ates tattoos) again. I think that the individuals who called their families to express love in the face of fear, I think those who held the terrified hands of co-workers, I think those who realized that even in the moment of death they could offer comfort... yeah, they're heroes in my book.

I do, however, want to throw in a post script...

Those who would take the the deaths of the innocent and warp them into an excuse for the deaths of MORE innocents will never be considered heroes to me, merely politicians. I don't think one single victim left a dying message of, "Go get those b@st@rds who did this!"

some of them are, others are not.  Although the world trade center probally had more heroes than another segment of the population. Ordinary people have been known to do extrordinary things in an emergency.

The firefighters and cops who entered the buildings are undoubtly heroes in the true sense of the definition.

I would imagine the towers were filled with LOT'S of other heroes too...ones not wearing badges. From reports, it's evident a lot of people were aiding each other in their struggle to escape. Taking the time to help a co-worker down the stairs instead of focusing solely on oneself warrants being labeled a "hero" in my book.

Watching a program today, one man sought out cries for help he was hearing from someone who was trapped. He managed to find the man in the dark and debris filled room with the aide of his flashlight. He helped free the man from debris and the two made it down the stairs uneventfully. THAT is a true hero. And that is only ONE story out of many I'm sure could be told...had there been more survivors to do so.

To me, the people who were killed in the towers were victims. The people who escaped the towers alive are survivors. And the heroes of that day were the police, fire and rescue workers who went into the buildings, placing their personal safety behind the safety of others, and risked and sacrificed their own lives trying to help people in need...

I feel horrible when any innocent person dies.  For all those people who perished, not only in those towers, but to the many that died that day...or because of that day, I will feel an emptiness in my heart for them.  As for heroes....I think people who did things to help others are the heroes...that IMO, means the firefighters, police and yes, those who helped people get down the stairwell, away from thier desks, those who may have been on the street and saw someone in need and helped them find it.  IMO those are the heroes....My son is a hero to me because of what he did for his co-worker the night he was murdered.  She has told us that it was he who shielded her....first pushing her in front of him so she would be behind him in the freezer.  The idiots ran after shooting him and she was safe...and that, to me, is a further definition of a hero.

I'm sure there were heroes in the towers that didn't survive.  However, we don't know for sure and can only guess how many and whom.  We do know for sure they were all victims.

Meanwhile, to me in this whole mess the truest and purest heroes were on Flight 93.  They had to meet the enemy who was dangerous as well as face extra-human danger, not just a non-human enemy situation that was dangerous.  The latter is the firemen/police/etc category.  They're heroes, but not to the level that F93 were.  And it wasn't even their jobs.

I'm not offended by that kind of statement by Maher.  But he has offended me in other ways.

The innocent people who died weren't heroes, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, IMO.

The firefighters were heroes, everyon else that went in was a hero.  But dying does not make you a hero.  However, killing people in such a way did make those terrorists cowards..

I did feel for the people who lost their lives, but to me the real heroes - aside from the firefighters etc. - were the people of New York City.  Before all the revenge talk came about, they came together like people really should.  Crime went way down, there was an actual brotherhood of man for those first few weeks.  The people were binded together in grief, and instead of saying we'll get the motherf*ckers who did this, they were consoling each other, and treating their fellow man with decency, kindness and care.  If there ever was a hero, to me, they would be it.

I think that's what your country needs more of *stands up on a soapbox* is communities like that.  The politicians were all building up hate, perpetuating boundaries between us (the western world) and the eastern world.  People in Pakistan were never dancing in the street because they heard the news about WTC, it was a file tape from the 80s, used by CNN as a ploy to get Americans, or the rest of the 'civilised' world to hate what we just don't understand.  The politicians should have focused on the people who lost their lives and the New Yorkers who were coming together, instead of trying to develop and further their hate campaign.  *gets off soapbox*

In my humble opinion:

Aside from the emergency workers (firefighters, police, rescue, etc.) -

There are many documented accounts of the regular, ordinary people who just went to work that day and during the tragedy helped their fellow man/woman, risked their lives for others, died helping others, died saving others....


It is my opinion that most (if not absolutely all) of those regular, ordinary people who just went to work that day were heroes because they did the best they could do in time of tragedy for one another. They helped each other. There's a lot to be said about that. Cedit should be given where credit is due. But since we cannot pick-out the one or few who weren't helpful but traumatized and scared, we must credit them all for the sake of the majority.